Sun, Sep 29, 2024

Planting scheme comes to life at Darley Street Market

Market garden bids to attract insects year-round
Planting  |  Outdoor  |  Market

Almost 400 plants and 450 bulbs have been planted in the Market Square in Bradford’s new city centre Darley Street Market.

 

The planting scheme for the outdoor space has been designed to provide year-round interest and attract pollinating insects to the space.

 

The scheme, which is low maintenance, will also provide a link with neighbouring planting areas across the city centre creating a network of habitat stepping stones that allowing pollinating insects to move between different areas of the city centre.

 

The plants chosen are a mix of climbers, evergreen shrubs, perennial plants and bulbs including a number of architectural plants, that help to soften the hard landscaping and provide a lush exotic feel to the space.

 

The plants have been selected to withstand a range of temperatures and climatic conditions and there is a built-in irrigation system which uses harvested rainwater to ensure the planting thrives during periods of drought.

 

The planting scheme delivers a range of heights, colours, textures and fragrances to the raise beds which make up the edges of the 1,000m2 Market Square.

 

The climbing plants include clematis, jasmine, honeysuckle and passionflower and bulbs used in the scheme are both purple and white alliums along with Tete-a-Tete Narcissus.

 

The shrubs, herbaceous and grasses include Hebe, Mahonia, Heuchera, Cordyline, Bergenia cordifolia purpurea (elephant’s ear plant), Choisya Ternata (Mexican orange blossom), Fatsia japonica (Japanese aralia), Tetrapanax Papyrifer 'Rex' (Chinese rice-paper plant), Phyllostachys Nigra (Black bamboo), Phormium Tenax (New Zealand flax) and Sedum.

 

Councillor Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport said: “It’s great to see the planting going into the raised beds in the Market Square at the new Market. It really softens the market square, making it a welcoming multi-sensory space for people to spend time.”

 

A spokesperson from Horticon Ltd, the horticultural contractor at the new market, said: “Now is the best time of year to do this type of planting as it gives the new plants time settle and get established ahead of the winter season. The plants selected really complement the amazing space that has been created as part of this new market.”